Pace University has received a grant of over $3 million from the New York State Department of Health’s Healthcare Education and Life-skills Program (HELP) to launch the College of Health Professions Pathways to Practice Initiative (CPPI). The funding, distributed as $614,395 annually from January 2026 through December 2030, aims to address healthcare workforce shortages in the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley.
The CPPI initiative is led by Elizabeth Colón-Fitzgerald, EdD, associate dean of Student Success & Retention Strategies. Faculty members Beau Anderson, Denise Tahara, Esma Paljevic, and Shannon Gribben contributed to its development. The project also included input from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) collaborators Dr. Margaret Barton-Burke and Dr. Annmarie Mazzella-Ebstein.
The initiative focuses on expanding access for underrepresented students in healthcare education, strengthening pre-health advising across Pace University, and preparing advanced nursing and health sciences students for clinical roles.
“This grant is an extraordinary opportunity for Pace’s College of Health Professions to strengthen the healthcare workforce in Westchester,” said Brian Goldstein, dean of the College of Health Professions at Pace University. “Through the Pathways to Practice Initiative, we will expand access to healthcare education, support students as they prepare for advanced roles, and ensure that our graduates are ready to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities across the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley.”
CPPI consists of three main programs:
– The CHP Scholars Program offers financial aid, mentorship, and academic coaching specifically for Black and Latino students pursuing nursing or health sciences.
– The Pre-Health Advising Program provides targeted advising services for pre-health majors across all university departments.
– The Student-to-Practice Program prepares final-semester nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), and registered nurse (RN) students with wellness workshops and simulations developed by MSK and Pace faculty.
“This award not only affirms Pace University’s leadership in healthcare education, but it also represents a collaborative effort to build a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce,” said Elizabeth Colón-Fitzgerald. “Through the Pathways to Practice Initiative, we are expanding access, strengthening support for students, and preparing graduates to thrive in the most demanding clinical environments.”
“Building on the Academic-Clinical Partnership between Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University gives us traction to prepare nurses of the future with grants like HELP,” said Margaret Barton-Burke and Lisa Mazzella Ebstein from MSK’s Nursing Research department. “We will contribute by implementing resilience and emotional intelligence training. Offering this training before workforce entry can foster emotional wellness, enhance coping strategies, and mitigate burnout. Thus supporting the well-being and efficacy of nurses. We are excited to collaborate on this important initiative over the next five years.”
The award extends Pace University’s partnership with MSK as both institutions work together on preparing future healthcare professionals in response to local workforce needs.
Pace University was founded in 1906 with campuses in New York City and Westchester County. It serves approximately 13,600 students across several colleges including its College of Health Professions.
The College of Health Professions at Pace University was established in 2010. It offers a range of bachelor’s through doctoral programs designed to prepare graduates for careers in clinical practice as well as research or policy roles related to health care.
